When Numbers Can't Save You
by Ardikani4
Summary: Don had watched as Charlie had stormed out of the bullpen, furious at his FBI agent brother following one of their arguments. What Don didn't know, what he could never know, was that he might never see his little brother again.
1. The Fight

Chalk screeched on a blackboard as Professor Charles Eppes wrote equation after equation, his dark eyes flickering and flashing as the numbers raced through his mind. He was angry, and as per his usual pattern of regression, he immersed himself in his beloved numbers. He had been fighting with his older brother, FBI Special Agent Don Eppes.

Charlie cursed angrily when his chalk snapped under the stress of his forceful writing. Throwing it across his office, he turned, running his hands through his hair as he paced in an agitated fashion. He looked back at the board, his eyes scanning the lengthy expression he had placed upon its surface. Something was off, and it had nothing to do with his chalk breaking and halting his work.

_Don,_ he thought furiously. They had fought over the stupidest thing, really. Charlie had given the FBI a new angle of attack for a case they had been stalled on for a few weeks, and Don had taken his team to work the new leads. However, something happened while the team was on scene that sent Don into a rage. Don had stormed back into the office looking about as murderous as he had been when Charlie had been run off the road a few years prior.

"Charlie! What the hell kinda trick was that you pulled? Because whatever it was, that shit wasn't funny!" The veteran agent had snarled at him, and despite his overall aversion to violence, Charlie's hackles went up and he turned to face Don without fear.

"What trick, Don? I didn't do anything! I merely gave you a probable area of residence for your suspect!" He snapped back, and his brother halted and turned burning dark eyes on his younger sibling.

"Didn't do anything? You didn't do anything? How about sending media crews from no less than FIVE media outlets to that house? How about giving your _personal_ assurances that this monster would be off the streets and behind bars by morning? HOW ABOUT THAT?" The agent roared in the mathematician's face. Charlie stayed in shock for all of three seconds before he snapped and bellowed right back at his brother.

"I DID NO SUCH THING! I haven't spoken to any media crews since that fiasco with whatever that guy's name was a few years ago!" It was in the midst of the yelling match that Colby Granger and David Sinclair quietly made their own entrance. Something about the look on Colby's face caught Don's attention, and he immediately turned his attention to the agent.

"WHAT, Colby?" He barked, bringing all attention in the room to the big agent, who shifted slightly on his feet.

"Chief Sinclair just called for you, Don. He said…he needs to talk to you." Don snarled angrily before turning back to his brother and pointing a finger threateningly in his face.

"This isn't over, Charlie." To the surprise of everyone in the room, the normally timid professor bared his teeth and snarled right back.

"The hell it isn't! I will not stand here and be accused of something I did not do! Don't bother calling the next time you need a mathematical answer to your problems; I won't answer." Spinning on his heel, his curly hair bouncing, Charlie stormed out, leaving an astounded group of FBI agents standing silently in his wake.

Shaking his head viciously, Charlie gritted his teeth, bringing his gaze back into focus on the board in front of him. Giving in to his frustration, he grabbed an eraser and cleared everything from the board, then he proceeded to flip it over. It hit the ground with a crash, and he kicked it angrily, unable to fathom how his brother could launch such an unfair accusation at him without any proof.

_He's wrong. He's SO wrong. I just need to get proof that I didn't do it…_ Charlie's train of thought ended there when the sound of footsteps behind him snapped him into focus. He turned, anticipating seeing his brother, but before his words of reprisal could leave his lips, he saw the light glinting off the gun in the man's hand.

"Funny how those fools in the media accept whatever they are told so easily. All I had to say was 'FBI' and your name, and they were hooked. Thank you for your assistance in keeping Agent Eppes distracted long enough for me to get away. Give your brother my regards, Professor…if you live long enough, that is." Charlie didn't have the chance to move, or even to speak. He saw it all in slow motion as the trigger was pulled and the hammer fell. The slide snapped back and the casing flew out, gleaming so elegantly in the light as it spiraled through the air. The puff of smoke from the barrel, then the bullet itself, spinning and perfectly balanced as it came closer and closer to him. Then everything kicked back into real time, and the round hit him.

It felt like he had been hit in the chest by a sledgehammer, and he fell, landing on his back with a thud that knocked whatever air remained in his chest out in one startled gasp. He was suddenly aware of his heart racing as his body twitched spasmodically, already going into shock as the man took a step closer to lean over him and smile eerily, and then he was gone. He was going to die alone, in his office at CalSci, and no one was going to know the difference.

_Don._ He had to call Don. With trembling, blood-slicked fingers, he managed to get his cell phone out of his pocket, and he hit the speed dial at the very top of the list.

_Please, Don. Pick up._

* * *

Special Agent Don Eppes of the FBI had not had a good day. Well, it had started out pretty good when his genius little brother had given him a possible location for a murder suspect for a case that they had been stalled on for almost a month. And then Don got on scene to find several media crews waiting to ambush him, and his eyes had instantly darkened when they began to scream at him, demanding to know what his brother had told him about the location.

_Charlie, how could you?_ He had thought furiously as he had sent the crews packing, his dark eyes blazing with anger as he fought to stay in control.

_Arrogant little shit…he just always has to be right…_ Don and his team had cleared the address, and the veteran agent hadn't been surprised when the residence was clean. The media crews had given their suspect plenty of notice to beat feet and get the hell out of dodge.

When Don stormed through the elevator doors and into the bullpen, every agent got out of the way. He had approached Charlie wordlessly, going for the kill as his brother sat clueless with his back to his approaching brother. The ensuing yelling match had stopped all activity on the floor, civilians and agents alike watching the two brothers brawl like they were kids again. The announcement that Chief Sinclair wanted to speak to Don broke the match, and Charlie had stormed out to God-knows-where to pout. Don could care less; the ensuing ass-chewing from his boss had left him angry enough that he probably would have killed Charlie had he stayed.

The next few hours were relatively uneventful as the office got back to normal and Don filled out his paperwork and reports for the day. He had managed to get his mind off of his anger at his brother while working, and his cell phone vibrating on his hip snapped him from his reverie. He unsnapped the device, bringing it up to his eyes so he could read the caller ID.

_Charlie._ Instantly all the anger and resentment from the afternoon made its way to the forefront of his mind, and he thought about not answering. He decided against it, figuring his brother might be calling to apologize.

"This better be a hell of a good apology, Charlie. I got my ass handed to me for the little stunt you pulled." He snarled, re-reading a paragraph in the report he was working on as he waited for his brother's reply.

"_Don…_" The wavering tone of his brother's voice instantly caught Don's attention and made him sit up straight. Charlie sounded so afraid that his brother instantly forgot about their argument earlier that day.

"Charlie? What's wrong?" He asked, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread settling in his gut. His brother's next words stopped his heart.

"_I've been shot…help me, Don…please…_" Don was on his feet so fast that his chair crashed on its side behind him, and he was bounding across the office even before Colby and David could stand up.

"Charlie, where are you? Who shot you? What happened?" Hearing their boss's questions, both agents sprinted after him as he hit the down button, waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive as his brother's shaky breathing echoed in his ear.

"_It was him, Don…the suspect from your case…he called the media…gave my name…to throw you off…he…he shot me…came to my office…at CalSci…said to give you…his regards…Don…I'm sorry…_" Feeling his heart sink into his shoes, Don got into the elevator, slamming his hand on the button as he scrambled for words of comfort to keep Charlie focused on him and not his injury.

"Charlie, you'll be okay. I'm coming right now, and David and Colby are with me. They have an ambulance and police heading your way. We'll be there soon, you just stay with me. Stay with me, Charlie…please." The elevator moved with agonizing slowness, and Don's heart was in his throat as he heard his little brother's panting breaths growing weaker and weaker.

"_Don…big brother…I love you…_" Panic seized the veteran agent in its iron grip, and he nearly broke down crying at the tone of his baby brother's voice.

"I love you too, Charlie. Don't you dare give up, I'm on my way. I'll be there, I promise. You stay with me, do you hear me? Stay with me!" Faintly Don was able to make out the sound of sirens in the background, and he felt a ghost of relief, knowing help was almost there for Charlie. Then his blood ran cold when he heard a gurgling rasp echo through the phone, just before his brother managed to speak again.

"_Goodbye…D-Don…love…you…_" Don's legs gave out and he fell to his knees, not hearing David or Colby or feeling their hands grasping his shoulders to steady him. In his mind, he was screaming incoherently, absolutely insane with panic and distress as he heard his brother struggling to breathe, fighting to hold on to life. His heart was hammering in his chest and he fought to stay calm, not for his sake, but for Charlie's.

"Buddy, stay with me! STAY WITH ME! Charlie? CHARLIE!" His screams went unanswered, and the _thud_ as the phone fell from Charlie's limp grasp echoed hollowly in his ears.

As the sirens grew ever louder in the background, Don felt a strange numbness fall over him, and he lowered his head as the elevator finally reached the basement. The doors slid soundlessly open to reveal a broken agent as tears poured down his face. Then his eyes snapped open and he got to his feet, striding out wordlessly towards his SUV with Colby and David hurrying after him.

Don unlocked and jumped into the vehicle, the tears slowly drying on his face as his dark eyes burned with rage. Someone was going to _pay_ for Charlie's pain. No matter what it took, Don was going to find the man responsible, and he was going to end him.

_Charlie…just hold on. I'll be there soon. And once I see you and I know you'll be okay, I'll find the bastard. I'll find him._ With those thoughts in mind, Don slammed the SUV in gear and tore out of the garage, lights flashing and siren howling as he raced to CalSci.

* * *

**A/N: Writer's block is such a joy. It won't let me work on the stuff I want to work on (Always There, Battle Song, Shadows from the Past...) but it DOES happen to give me these great little plot ideas for the random shows and movies I'm watching. Le sigh.**

**So! Here's a new fic, from the realm of Numb3rs! I was a huge fan of the show and was quite sad to see it go, but I liked the earlier seasons better than the last one really. And what can I say, Rob Morrow's quite the handsome fellow! XD**

**Anyway! Hope ya'll enjoy. Not sure where this one may go...probably won't be that long of a fic really. Just something fun to get my mind off of the monotony.**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	2. Regrets

_Silence. Sterility. Bright lights. Blinding whiteness._ Charlie's eyes flickered, his senses shocked by what seemed to be a sudden change of surroundings from what he remembered. Then he realized where he was.

_Hospital…D-Don…_ All at once, sound reached his ears again, crashing almost painfully against his aching skull as voices shouted around him.

"Prep the OR! Have five units of blood ready, and notify all family members in his record! We're in for a long haul with this one!" Charlie was suddenly aware of how cold he was, and his hands twitched at his sides. One of the techs helping to push his gurney noticed the movement and looked down, her eyes going wide when they met his.

"DOCTOR! He's awake!" Charlie snorted out slightly in alarm when a woman with flashing gray eyes and a stern countenance suddenly appeared in his vision, pulling a small pen light from her coat pocket and flashing it into his eyes as she hurried along next to him.

"Pupillary reflex slow. Have the anesthesiologist get down here now! Mr. Eppes, just relax and try not to get too excited. We'll take good care of you here." She reassured him but he saw the grim truth in those piercing eyes. He was in bad shape and he knew it.

As the gurney slowed and turned into the operating room, Charlie closed his eyes, feeling a strange numbness settling over him even as the shouting continued. He only had one thought, and it was the last he knew before the darkness took him again.

_Don…_

* * *

The big black SUV screeched to a halt near several other police cruisers already piled on CalSci's doorstep, and Don and his team hopped out and headed into the building. Flashing his credentials at an old police sergeant with cold eyes, Don navigated the familiar twists and turns to his little brother's office at top speed, only stopping when he reached the door. The smell of copper hit his nose like a brick to the face, and despite the hundreds of times he had smelled it, this time it turned his stomach.

_Because it's Charlie's blood,_ he thought, slowly stepping into an office that had once been a calming refuge for him and his brother both, but now he knew that would never be so again. The crimson pool on the floor, and the smudges where his little brother had dragged himself to get at a favorite picture of his beloved older brother, took the strength from Don's powerful frame.

Sinking slowly to his knees, Don closed his eyes, not even having to look around to understand what had happened. Charlie had taken the bullet at close range to the chest, falling onto his back and lying there for a moment before digging his cell phone from his pocket. As he spoke to his older brother, Charlie had painstakingly dragged himself across the floor until he was able to reach a low table, and he grabbed the photo of Don before falling back to the floor. Judging by the blood on the frame and the fallen cell phone, Charlie had not moved from that spot, clutching the picture of his older brother to his chest until his senses had left him and he had fallen into unconsciousness.

David was speaking to the officers that had first responded to the call, and Colby stood silently behind his quietly grieving boss, staring sorrowfully at the picture as he grasped what had happened. He knelt at Don's side, reaching out hesitantly to touch the man's shaking shoulder before speaking softly.

"Don…you don't need to be here. Go. Be with Charlie. He needs you…he needs his brother." Don looked at the other agent, his dark eyes swimming with pain and grief and rage, but Colby stood his ground, meeting those eyes without fear as he nodded firmly towards the door.

"Go, Don. Go."

* * *

The Emergency Room was almost eerily quiet, and it grated on Don's nerves as he strode through the doors. It hit him instantly how much he _hated_ hospitals then, and he suppressed an uneasy growl. Allowing his gaze to wander for a moment, his eyes settled on the front desk, then he strode to it in a businesslike fashion. The nurse studiously ignored him as she shuffled papers, only sparing him an annoyed glance when he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me miss. I'm looking for the young man that was brought in here about twenty minutes ago." She turned her gaze back to the desk but only for a moment, then it clicked just _who_ that patient had been. Immediately her eyes went back to his and she looked sorrowful, nodding her head towards the nearest directory.

"Follow the signs back to the Surgical Area and sign in at the desk. They have been looking for that poor man's family since he arrived. Hopefully you aren't too late." Don bowed his head before taking off in the direction she had indicated. He swallowed hard as he navigated his way through the halls, following a dozen separate signs through several turns before arriving at his destination.

The Surgical ward was quiet that late at night but still it had staff, and the nurse at the desk turned bright green eyes to him as he walked into the waiting area. He didn't even have a chance to speak before she was holding out a clipboard with several pieces of paper on it to him.

"You must be here for that poor fellow that came back about half an hour ago. Your brother?" Don nodded, wordlessly taking the clipboard as she gave him a slight smile in sympathy.

"He was awake when they took him back…his eyes were just like yours. Mess of curly dark hair but otherwise, he looked quite a bit like you. Despite his injury, he seemed pretty strong. I haven't seen a patient wake up after suffering a wound like that before." Don's pen clicked quietly on the papers as she spoke, and despite the optimistic tone of her words, Don's heart still squeezed in his chest.

_Charlie shouldn't even be back there. He shouldn't be hurt. This wasn't supposed to happen, not to him, not ever. Not ever._ Finishing with the paperwork, Don handed it back with a choked 'thank you' before he took a seat. Putting his elbows on his knees, he buried his face in his hands, remembering how weak and scared Charlie had sounded on the phone.

_Please, don't let his last memory of me be our fight…please just let my brother be okay…_

* * *

**A/N: Well! Got quite a few views on that first chapter and a review as well! I'm quite pleased. ^.^ Hopefully ya'll will enjoy the next chapter as well.**

**Thank you to everyone out there that gave the first chapter a read! Ya'll make a writer's world go round! :)**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	3. Another World

_Darkness. Silence. Cold…cold…cold…_

Charlie opened his eyes slowly, his vision swimming as he tried to figure out where he was. His mind worked in halting intervals, trying to piece together fragments of information so the mathematician could get his bearings.

_Why am I…so cold…_ His vision finally came into focus, and to his bewilderment, he was staring at the sky. Blinking owlishly, he sat up and gingerly put a hand to his skull, which was aching terribly. Nothing made sense. The last thing he remembered was…being wheeled into surgery on a gurney as he thought of his brother.

_Don._ Charlie's heart ached with grief and despair as he thought of his elder brother. Don had been everything to him growing up, the cool brother that everyone loved…the brother that hated him for being such a freak.

Cringing against his will, Charlie closed his eyes, burying his face in his hands as tears leaked from his eyes. All he could think about was Don, their stupid fight, his anger-fueled equations…and then Charlie saw him again. The guy with the gun. He remembered clearly how damn calm the man had been, how confidently he had spoken, and how easily he had pulled the trigger.

_Monster. He's a monster. He's what I've been hunting in the case for Don, through my math, my equations…a monster…_ His hands dropped into his lap, the tears still slowly flowing down his face as he tilted his head back to look at the sky. He stared at the blue so far above him, yet so near that he felt like he could reach out and touch it, if he only tried hard enough…

From nowhere came a low, yet brazen laugh, startling Charlie enough that he scrambled to his feet and looked around wildly. He saw nothing, even as the hair on the back of his neck stood up straight, telling him in the most animalistic of ways that he was being watched.

"You know you cannot touch the sky, little human. Logic rules your entire existence, through your beloved numbers. So why do you let that fallacy cloud your mind? Why do you let yourself believe in the impossible?" She emerged from…literally nowhere. Big and powerful, with an air of absolute confidence surrounding her, a female snow leopard prowled toward Charlie on silent paws. A long, furry tail flicked and twitched with a life of its own as the big cat slowly circled the mathematician, gauging him for reasons that were her own. Unable to find words, Charlie simply contented himself with watching the massive she-cat until she paused in front of him and sat down, studying him with piercing golden eyes.

"You have questions for me, yet you stay silent, human. Why?" She asked, her tail curling around her paws as the tip twitched slightly and tapped against the ground. Startled back into a somewhat normal thought pattern, Charlie narrowed his eyes for a moment as a veritable landslide of questions assaulted his mind. Picking one at random, he eyed the cat before speaking.

"Who are you?" _A simple enough start,_ he reasoned. In front of him, the cat chuckled, standing and stretching in a leisurely fashion before turning and walking away from him. Her tail curled around his ankle and tugged for a moment, then let go, and he hurried to stay abreast of her.

"I am a guardian of the mists that stand between the mortal plain and the world that lies beyond. In this particular case, I am your guide, and all that stands between you and eternity." Her words brought more questions to the forefront of his mind, all of them clamoring to be asked and answered. Shaking his head slightly, Charlie chose another, his voice ringing out as he asked it.

"Do you have a name?" Again she laughed, her voice bell-like on the still air as they walked on, to where and for what reason, Charlie couldn't say. All he knew was that he was comforted by the fact that she was there, and that he didn't have to face the unknown alone.

"I have been called many things in my time here, little human. Call me what you wish. I will respond to your voice and your thoughts regardless." At first, Charlie had no idea what to call his unexpected companion, but a sudden insight and mental comparison to someone whom he held dear and missed with all his heart made the decision for him.

"Margaret. Would…would you mind if I call you Margaret?" Those golden eyes met his, searching his thoughts and his soul for an explanation, and then her gaze gentled when she realized his reasoning.

"I would be honored, little human. Come, follow me closely. We do not have the luxury of time in this place." Still following without question, Charlie let his gaze wander for a moment before he asked the next question that came to mind.

"Where are we going?" Margaret's powerful muscles flexed beneath her spotted white fur as she made her way down a small incline. Charlie picked his own path just as carefully, studying the ground critically to ensure he didn't stumble as her voice floated back to his ears on the quiet air.

"We are going to a place that time has forgotten, a place that only exists in the realms of the human soul. You will understand when we get there, little one." Confused by her words, Charlie fell silent, left to wonder almost helplessly if he would ever return to his friends…his family…his brother.

_Don…_

* * *

Don Eppes had never been a patient man. He was a man of action, one that lived for the thrill of confronting the evil in the shadows of humanity. He loved the adrenalin rush that always flooded his senses when he was on a raid or chasing down a suspect. He not only loved it, he lived for it.

This, now, sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a waiting room, was his worst nightmare, his own personal hell. He twiddled his thumbs, tapped his foot, and checked his watch incessantly. Several times he rolled to his feet and paced, unconsciously counting the steps from wall to wall, from his chair to the door, from the door to the desk, and back again. Several times he caught the nurse at the desk staring at him in a combination of annoyance and resigned understanding, but he couldn't bring himself to care. All he could think about was Charlie.

"Don!" Bursting through the door behind him came his father, Alan Eppes, as well as two other familiar faces. Amita Ramanujan, Charlie's wife, and Larry Fleinhardt, Charlie's best friend. Amita hit him like a freight train, and the FBI agent rocked back on his heels as she buried her tear-stained face in his broad chest. Larry looked decidedly pale, and Alan's eyes searched the room for a moment before falling on his eldest son.

"Donnie, what happened? Where's Charlie? How is he?" He asked as Don quietly hugged Amita in an effort to comfort the distraught woman.

"Dad, he was shot by a suspect in a case I'm working on. He's in surgery now…and he wasn't doing well when I last heard but maybe…" Turning his dark eyes to the nurse at the desk, Don stared at her, his eyes silently pleading for an update on his little brother. She emerged from behind the desk to face Alan as Amita raised her eyes to his.

"Please tell me he'll be okay, Don. Please." She begged her brother-in-law, and he couldn't help but hug her again as tears built in his eyes and threatened to flow down his face.

"I don't know, Amita. He's strong, way stronger than I ever gave him credit for, but this…this is pretty bad. I just don't know." Larry was listening intently to the nurse's report of Charlie's injuries to Alan, and before Don could stop him, the other man was spouting out probabilities.

"Statistically speaking, from the point of impact to the way the bullet damaged the muscle and underlying tissues, Charlie has a 23.2 chance of survival. However, these odds could go up or down depending on…" Don cut him off with a sharp snarl, feeling Amita trembling against him even harder. She was just as brilliant as Charlie was; Don knew, with a sinking heart, that she already knew the odds.

"Larry, bad timing. Hush. We all know the odds aren't good, but…but don't just break it down to numbers, alright? This is Charlie we're talking about, not just a math problem." Suitably chastened, Larry went quiet. Don felt for him, but he didn't want to think about numbers. Not when Charlie was fighting for his life.

Turning his dark eyes back to the door that separated him from his brother, Don exhaled sharply, hoping against hope that his brother would beat the odds that were slowly stacking against him with every second that ticked by.

_Charlie…_

* * *

**A/N: Three reviews so far! Can't help but grin at all the nice things ya'll have had to say so far! I feel a little mean for whumping on Charlie but it seems that I've always been gifted at the tragic and angst side of the writer's world.**

**Yet another thing I'm fond of doing has emerged in this chapter. I love exploring the possibilities of the realm between life and death, and what may lie beyond. I don't like just leaving a character unconscious while everyone frets; I enjoy giving them a reality of their own to explore, one that is very different from our own. It's a great place for me to place a character because it gives me a little extra wiggle room for artistic freedom. In this particular case, it is a really neat angle for me to explore, given how rational Charlie is and all. I'm sure I'll get into that side of him more next chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	4. The Hunter

FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton was having a pretty good day. He had just finished training a promising group of young agents at Quantico and he had high hopes that some of them would become good agents and snipers. He was in Los Angeles, and decided to stop by the field office to visit his old friends there. It had been awhile since his last visit, and he couldn't help but wonder what Don Eppes and his team had gotten into while he was away.

Breezing through the elevator doors, he headed for the bullpen, his eyes flickering around to see if he could spot some familiar faces. He spied David and Colby in the war room and immediately detoured in their direction. He walked in, quiet as usual, and both were so focused on their work that they didn't even notice him. He grinned in spite of himself, clearing his throat to make himself known. The moment the two agents looked at him, he spoke.

"Hey David, Colby. Where's that hot-headed boss of yours?" The way they looked at him immediately clued him in to the fact that something was terribly wrong. It was Colby that spoke, bringing the sniper's gaze to him.

"At the hospital. We're working a murder case that went real bad…suspect is a real bastard." At Colby's words, Ian focused in immediately, his eyes narrowing as he leaned on a table.

"How bad is he hurt?" David spoke next, shaking his head and baring his teeth in helpless anger as he did so.

"Not Don. Charlie. The son of a bitch tracked him to CalSci and shot him point blank in the chest. He's not doing well. Don's been there ever since. We damn near lost him." The sniper stood up straight, turning and heading out the door just as swiftly as he came in. Ian was quite fond of both Eppes brothers, having worked with them on over a dozen cases in the last year alone.

_First stop: hospital. Check on Charlie and Don. Next stop: suspect residence. Start tracking immediately._ Few men had ever escaped the grasp of Ian Edgerton when he was on the hunt. This time, the hunt was very, very personal, and the sniper would not rest until the man responsible for his friends' pain and grief was behind bars…or in the ground.

* * *

Don literally had no idea how much time had passed. He didn't know how long he had been at the hospital. All he knew was the pain in his chest every time he thought of the tone of Charlie's voice over the phone, when his little brother had spoken to him with the terror-fueled certainly that he was going to die alone, in a place that he should have been safe.

_It should have been me…_ Don thought for the…hell. He didn't know how many times he thought it. It didn't matter though, and it never would, because it wasn't him. It was Charlie. It never should have been Charlie.

"Eppes." A deep, confident voice echoed above him, quiet but unflinchingly certain, unshakably familiar, and undeniably real. Don jerked in his chair, startled, and then he looked up, finding himself staring into a deep-set pair of dark eyes that reflected a pain not unlike his own.

"Ian. What are you doing here?" The FBI agent couldn't help but ask as a heavy hand fell on his shoulder, warm and supporting in a way that Don couldn't understand but that he appreciated greatly.

"Just finished with a class at Quantico and got notified that there's a case needing my attention up in Washington state. Thought I'd stop by for a bit on my way up there but now…I have a feeling I'm needed here. Washington and the scum up there can wait. What happened?" The quiet, taciturn sniper was no talker, so Don was startled at everything he had to say. He leaned back in his seat, barely taking note of the fact that Ian's hand was still resting heavily on his shoulder, then he told the story. Again.

"We…we fought. Charlie and I. It was stupid…we're hunting this murder suspect, real bastard he is. Killed four people already so I brought Charlie in. Clever little genius that my brother is, he narrowed down a residence for the bastard right quick. We went to hit it…found damn near every media outlet in town waiting for us. Apparently Charlie had called them, given them the location we were going, and given his personal assurances that this piece of shit was about to be locked away for good. He was nowhere to be found. I came back here, tore into Charlie like nobody's business…he insisted he was innocent, but stormed out because I got real angry at him. He was mad too…yelled that we were through and I shouldn't bother calling for his assistance again in the future. Several hours passed, and then…my cell rang. It was Charlie. He…he'd been shot. That bastard baited us…used the media as bait, told them he was Charles Eppes…then he tracked my brother down, and shot him in the chest. Charlie _died,_ Ian! He died! They almost couldn't bring him back…" By the end of his story, Don was babbling, nearly hysterical with grief and fear and rage as the tears he'd been fighting to hold back poured from his dark eyes. Ian's powerful hand squeezed gently at his shoulder, bringing Don's attention back to the sniper after a moment.

"Don, where is Charlie now?" The sniper spoke softly, like one would to a wounded and cornered animal. For a moment the elder Eppes's eyes wandered like a man lost in his own soul, then they snapped back into focus and he looked back into Ian's expressionless face.

"He's in surgery. Been in there for…God. I don't even know how long." Ian Edgerton had known Don for several years now. He had seen the man go through hell, his brother and their friends too. Seeing Don now…it hurt Ian. It hurt him to see the legendary Don Eppes sitting in a hospital chair, beaten, heartbroken, and fearing for his little brother's survival.

Ian had been there to watch over them so many times before, and Don and his team had done the exact same thing for their sniper friend. Hell, Don and his team, they had been the ones that saved _his_ ass in the prison fiasco only a year prior. _Charlie_ had saved him. The sniper owed them all a massive debt. Putting a bullet in the monster that shot the mathematician that Ian used to clash with every time they met, a man that Ian now trusted and called a friend…hell. He'd do that any day with a clear conscience and without expecting anything in return. They didn't have to ask.

"Don, you stay here. Stay with Charlie. Let me know how he's doing once you guys hear, okay? I've got work to do but I'll be nearby. I'll be back soon." With that, Ian turned and headed for the elevator, his eyes narrowing and filling with a coldness that few people ever saw…and lived.

FBI Special Agent and sniper legend Ian Edgerton was on the hunt. _Let the games begin._

* * *

**A/N: Yep. I brought Ian into it. He's another of my Numb3rs crew favorites...that and I really like Lou Diamond Phillips. He's an awesome actor.**

**Thank you to my readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! Ya'll are amazing!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	5. Answers Unbidden, A Story Told

Charlie was still in surgery. Don didn't know how long it had been, and in the end, he just didn't care. All that really meant to him was that his brother was still alive. He was still fighting. He hadn't given up. The big FBI agent sighed, trying to settle a little more comfortably into the very uncomfortable chair he was seated in. It was a futile effort; his butt would just have to get over it.

Unbidden, a memory crept to the forefront of Don's mind, from a time he couldn't help but remember fondly. He had stopped at his dad's place for a quick shower and a change of clothes during a particularly nasty rapist-turned-killer case. Charlie had gotten his hands on Don's residential map while the elder Eppes was showering. Don couldn't help but remember how angry he had been, then Charlie started talking. Those keen dark eyes, so filled with excitement as he rapidly explained to his brother how he could build an equation that could locate the killer and therefore solve the case. Charlie had still seemed so young then, the little brother still so eager to help his older brother out and impress him. That memory, and so many others like them, made Don feel even worse about the argument that he and Charlie had had, only hours earlier.

_God, I'm an ass. I didn't even give him a chance to try and explain what happened. I just instantly jumped to the conclusion that he was guilty._ Don grimaced, burying his face in his hands in despair. He sat like that for a few minutes before his thoughts took another turn, this one decidedly darker than the last.

_Whoever that guy is, that bastard that shot Charlie, he'd better pray that Edgerton finds him. If I find him, he'll be begging for a bullet by the time I'm through with him._ Don took comfort in thoughts of retribution, nurturing his anger and allowing it to grow as he waited for news on Charlie.

_Once I know you're okay, I'll be out there looking for the bastard. I just need to know you'll be okay._

* * *

Charlie and Margaret had journeyed together in silence for what felt like forever to the mathematician. They had rambled through valleys, forded rivers, and were currently climbing a mountain that, to Charlie's eyes, reared up impossibly high above them to disappear into the clouds that surrounded its summit. As he bounded from one ledge to another, Charlie couldn't help but wonder where the snow leopard was leading him, and why.

"Margaret? How much farther?" The mathematician asked as he grasped the edge of another ledge above him, hauling himself up with a burst of strength that even he didn't know he possessed. The she-cat paused to look at him, several ledges above him as she sat down to give him time to catch up.

"Not much further, Charlie. Once we're over the summit, it is all downhill." She soothed him. Charlie groaned, managing to mostly disguise it as a displeased grunt as the snow leopard settled onto her stomach, watching him with warm golden eyes as her tail twitched lightly. Gritting his teeth, the lean young man continued to climb, hauling himself up several more ledges until his guide was only a ledge above him. He sat down, taking a moment to catch his breath as he wondered aloud to himself.

"What am I doing? Why am I here?" The questions weren't directed at the cat but she responded nonetheless.

"You are on a journey, young one. There are decisions to be made here, decisions that will determine what path you will follow. That path will decide your fate in the mortal realm." Her voice was comforting but her words only added to his confusion. Groaning aloud, Charlie allowed his head to fall back until it rested on the stone behind him. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the amused look Margaret was giving him. A moment later, he felt a gentle weight land on his head, and he opened his eyes curiously. The snow leopard had reached a paw down to rest on his head, and she ruffled his hair gently before rising smoothly to her feet and leaping to the next ledge. She turned to look down at him again, then spoke.

"Come, Charlie. We are almost there. Remember, we don't have a lot of time here. We must make the most of it." The curly-haired genius heaved a sigh, getting back to his feet and reaching for the next ledge to begin climbing again.

* * *

Special Agent Ian Edgerton was on the hunt. He started with what he knew: the location Charlie had been shot. He had visited CalSci before, several times when he and Don had needed the mathematician's help on a case, so he already knew where to go. He ignored the police, the FBI agents, the crime scene team, all of them. His focus was single-minded and no one there could tell him anything that he couldn't discover on his own.

Ian entered the office where Charlie had nearly bled to death, his dark eyes drifting as he stood off to one side and simply observed. The yellow crime scene tape and numbered cones meant nothing to him; he was there to find the evidence that no one would think to look for. His gaze wandered across the entire room, taking in the blood and the chaos without blinking, and then a chalkboard caught his attention. Not just _a_ chalkboard, _the_ chalkboard, Charlie's 'thinkboard' as Ian referred to it. He had watched in stunned fascination more than once when the mathematician was on one of his…number crazes, and the young man had filled the board with incomprehensible gibberish. Gibberish that never failed to help Don and Ian find the scum they were searching for.

_Charlie…_ He thought, walking over to it and crouching next to it. He couldn't help but wonder what had caused the mathematician's uncharacteristic anger. Don was the temperamental one, not Charlie. Charlie buried himself in numbers and logic when he was upset; he didn't throw and break things or beat people up the way Don did.

From the corner of his eye, a flicker of white caught Ian's attention, and the sniper rose and quietly made his way across the office before crouching down again. He found himself staring at a broken piece of chalk, and as he raised his eyes, he spotted a patch of white on the wall where the chalk had inevitably hit before falling to where it was sitting now. As Ian rose to his feet and turned to stare back at the doorway, the pieces began to fall into place, and he found himself thinking through a likely scenario of how Charlie's fateful night had gone.

In his mind's eye, Ian saw him, the curly haired mathematician working furiously on the chalkboard. He watched as the chalk snapped in Charlie's hand, then the young man cursed and hurled it across the room. Ian turned and saw it hit the wall and fall to the ground, and he turned back to Charlie in time to see him furiously erasing the numbers on its surface before flipping the chalkboard in a wordless expression of anger. The mathematician kicked the fallen chalkboard angrily, then turned suddenly to face the door.

A man stood there, and Ian felt his sniper senses flaring as he looked at the unfamiliar face. Only moments later, the flash of light on gleaming metal confirmed what Ian already knew; this was the bastard that had shot Charlie. Ian could only watch as the man spoke a few short sentences to Charlie, then pulled the trigger.

Charlie's body jerked backward before he fell, hitting the ground with a thud that made Ian cringe inwardly. He watched at the man leaned over the wounded mathematician, smiling at him before leaving the scene. Ian's eyes went back to Charlie as he pulled out his cell phone, undoubtedly calling Don. The sniper swallowed painfully as Charlie rolled to his stomach, dragging himself across the floor to a nearby table. Ian's eyes tracked his movements as he reached for a photo of his older brother, pulling it from its place before falling back to the floor and curling into a ball, laying on his right side. He watched Charlie speaking into the phone, saw the light in his dark eyes fading as his blood spread slowly across the floor. And he watched helplessly as the phone and the photo both fell to the floor as Charlie's eyes slowly closed.

Moments later, the images faded, and Ian found himself standing in the middle of Charlie's office as crime scene techs bustled about, busily collecting evidence to try and put together the story that Ian already knew. Slowly the sniper went to one knee, resting an elbow on his knee as he lowered his head to his hand.

_Charlie didn't deserve this. He is…innocent…_ The sniper stayed there for a little while longer, then rose to his feet and left the room. When he emerged from the building, he put his sunglasses back on, but not before several of the cops and FBI agents saw the look in his eyes. Needless to say, they got out of his way, watching in awe and not a little fear as he leaped into his truck and sped from the lot.

Ian Edgerton was on the hunt. There was no corner of the planet that he wouldn't go to to see justice done. Not with this case.

_Be safe, Don. Stay with Charlie; I'll find this bastard. I swear it._

* * *

**A/N: So. I'm a little late with this. Okay, a lot late...between my class and several other random plot ideas for different stories (have you SEEN my to-do list on my profile lately? *faints*) I got quite sidetracked.  
**

**Good news is I'm back home (THANK GOD) and on holiday leave. So...I'm clearing through a lot of my notes from when I was in class just scribbling to pass the time. This chapter was partially written over two weeks ago, I just didn't get to it with everything going on. Re-wrote some of the stuff and added a lot, so here's the chapter!**

**To my favoriters, followers, readers, and reviewers (WOW there's actually a lot of you!) thank you so much for your continued loyalty to this story! I really really appreciate it!**

**I should start updating a little more frequently now that some of the junk running around in my head has been put on paper. That and I have a lot of work to do on a lot of stories, including many one-shots that have emerged thanks to some Third Watch sprees lately. That and I've got a Stargate: Atlantis fic trying to rip apart my sanity. Ye gods. The perks of being a writer. LOL**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


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